Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
- Plant Type
- Forb (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Groundcover
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Loam, Silt, Rocky / Acidic, Calcareous
- Bloom
- June, July
- Sociability
- S4 – Large patches
Pollinator Value
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Synchlora aerata, Lacinipolia olivacea, Pseudorthodes vecors, Agrotis volubilis, Heliothis phloxiphaga, Homorthodes furfurata, Orthodes cynica, Cryptocala acadiensis, Trichordestra legitima
- 🐝 Specialist Bee Host
LLM: S17 genus not found; no species-level data available
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Seeds and foliage consumed by Greater Sage-Grouse (18.8% occurrence in diet) and Wild Turkey (66% occurrence). Overwintering basal leaves are occasionally eaten by Cottontail Rabbit. Seed persistence through summer provides a limited winter food resource.
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) and of Least Concern (IUCN LC). The variety A. millefolium var. megacephala (Large-headed Woolly Yarrow) is listed as Special Concern under SARA Schedule 1, restricted to Saskatchewan. The nominal species complex includes both native and introduced lineages in eastern Canada; VASCAN treats the species as introduced in ON and QC.
- Rarity Ranks
- QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON SNA – Not Applicable
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Yarrow is a ubiquitous component of open and semi-open habitats across the Ottawa Valley, found in meadows, roadsides, fields, dry prairies, rock shores, and disturbed ground [S7, S10, S61]. It thrives on well-drained soils and tolerates a wide range of substrates from sandy to clay-loam. Listed as Common on both sides of the Ottawa River in historical floras [S62, S63]. In our region it colonizes dry to mesic sites, often forming dense rhizomatous patches in full sun.
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Nutrient Accumulator, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = High (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: spines? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S72 Hemenway (tables: 6-2, 7-1, pp. 96, 112); S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Nutrient Accumulator: S72 Hemenway (tables: 6-2, 7-1, pp. 96, 112)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
- Notes
- One of the premier companion plants in permaculture design. Yarrow improves soil fertility and is an essential ingredient of the Quick Return herbal compost activator. Its aromatic foliage repels beetles, ants, and flies while its flat-topped flower clusters attract predatory insects for biological pest control. As a nutrient accumulator (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu), it mines deep minerals and makes them available through leaf decomposition. Excellent for orchard understory, meadow guilds, and pollinator strips.
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Analgesic, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Astringent, Carminative, Cholagogue, Cold Remedy, Dermatological Aid, Diaphoretic, Digestive, Emmenagogue, Febrifuge, Vulnerary
- Notes
- One of the most widely used medicinal plants among Indigenous peoples of North America, with 366 documented uses across dozens of nations. The Algonquin of southwestern Quebec used crushed leaves as a snuff for headaches and poultices for wounds. Yarrow contains achilleine, an alkaloid that enhances blood clotting. Health Canada lists it as an approved herbal ingredient (NHP). The whole plant is used fresh or dried, harvested when in flower; it is antiseptic, astringent, diaphoretic, and vulnerary.
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →✅ Edible
- Foraging Notes
- Young leaves are edible raw or cooked, with a bitter flavour suitable for mixed salads in small quantities. Leaves have been used as a hop substitute for flavouring and preserving beer. An aromatic tea is brewed from the leaves and flowers. An essential oil from flowering heads is used to flavour soft drinks. The Blackfoot prepared a tea from leaves and flowers. Must be used in moderation due to potential toxicity with extended use.
- Toxicity
-
△ Low Toxicity
USDA rates toxicity as Slight. Extended use medicinally or in the diet can cause allergic skin rashes or photosensitivity in some individuals. May enhance sedative effects of other herbs and sedative drugs. Large doses may have sedative and diuretic effects. Not listed in the Cornell poisonous plants database. Contains thujone and other volatile compounds in the essential oil.
Seed Source
- Localeaf